5
Feb

Lil Blue Boo and Dharma Trading Design Challenge

 Have you heard about the Lil Blue Boo and Dharma Trading Design Challenge?  I have been searching the thrift stores high and low for some different t-shirts and knits to use in the challenge and am finally getting around to sewing my dresses - which is a good thing because the deadline to enter is in 10 days!! So I know many of you are sewers, so I wanted to share the details of the challenge from Ashley at Lil Blue Boo in case you wanted to enter as well.  Here is some of the info from her blog:  1. Create a unique outfit for a girl or boy using a Lil Blue Boo … continue reading

3
Feb

Time to get Motivated!!

With every new year, brings new motivation for me to get things accomplished!  So, we have just finished the first month of the new year - how have you done with your new year's goals or resolutions so far?  Well, I have been doing pretty good, but not excellent.I have been putting a lot of my focus into getting "The Cottage Mama", my etsy shop, up and running.  And yes folks, it is coming soon - I promise!  With so much of my time dedicated to sewing and designing, I have put some of my household responsibilities on the back-burner.  Well, no more!I FINALLY … continue reading

2
Feb

Easy Asian Stir-Fry

Sometimes I get the biggest cravings for Chinese food - I just love it!  Tonight I had to have some Chinese so I decided to whip up an easy stir-fry that would be ready for my husband and I when he got home from work. Maybe you get those Chinese food cravings too, so I thought I would share my super easy stir-fry recipe with you so that you can create your own chinese take-out at home.Easy Asian Stir-FryIngredients:2-3 Chicken breasts, thawed and sliced2 green onions, sliced1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and sliced1 carrot, cut lengthwise and then sliced1 … continue reading

30
Jan

Embellished Sweater Headband Tutorial

Have you noticed that headbands seem to be coming back in-style?  I have always loved headbands and I think they are super cute way to enhance an outfit! As you have read in my previous posts, I love repurposing items.  Several weeks ago I repurposed a woman's sweater and turned it into a little girl's cardigan (remember this post?)  Well, when I was transforming the sweater into one that would fit my daughter, I cut off the bottom 2-3 inches of the sweater to make it the right length for her. I kept seeing that strip of felted sweater laying around my craft … continue reading

27
Jan

Spicy Chorizo Sausage Fajitas

I am a big fan of fajitas.  Typically I make chicken, shrimp or veggie fajitas here at The Cottage Home, but this week I decided to try something new - Spicy Chorizo Sausage Fajitas!  If you've never tried chorizo, you can find it in most local grocery stores these days.  It sort of has the consistency of ground beef, but is a little drier due to the fact that there are many herbs and spices mixed in (especially chili powder).  If you are looking to add something new to your cooking repertoire - give these a try!!Spicy Chorizo Sausage Fajitas Ingredients:1lb. … continue reading

25
Jan

Mason Jar Pin Cushion Tutorial

I wanted to share this fun, easy Mason Jar Pin Cushion Tutorial with all of you.  I have been trying to get my craft space organized over the last few days (trying being the operative word).  I have a big stash of these mason jars that I got super cheap at the thrift store (.39 cents each).  I am going to be using them to store all of my extra trims, buttons, ect.  I decided to add a pin-cushion to the top to make them dual purpose (and I think it makes the jars so fun and decorative)!So if you need some extra storage, grab a mason jar and give this tutorial a … continue reading

24
Jan

Craft Organization: Ribbon

My craft/sewing space is in dire need of some serious organization.  I will partly blame my disorganization on the fact that my craft/sewing room is also the office, so I can't have it set up exactly how I would like.  The other part I will blame on myself.  I get so excited about a new project and just have to get it finished; therefore, I don't clean up as I go and that just leads to utter chaos with all of my fabric, thread, ribbon, scissors, patterns all over the place........you get the picture......not pretty.So I thought I would do a few posts on craft … continue reading

21
Jan

My Girls!

Oh, my heart is so full of love today that I just wanted to share a few pictures of my little ladies - Savannah Rose (22 months) and Matilda Jane (6 months).  I have to say, I am not a photographer and getting a picture of two under two actually looking at the camera at the same time was a big accomplishment for me! Now many people told me that having two children so close together would be hard, but that it would be so worth it.  And now I think I know what they meant about the......"so worth it" part.Over the last few weeks I have really seen Savannah … continue reading

20
Jan

Repurposed Woman’s Turtleneck = Sweet Little Girl’s Cardigan

I have had several sweaters laying around my office / craft room that I purchased some months ago from Goodwill (remember this post).  I had already felted them and they were just waiting for my creativity to get a hold of them.  Except that was the problem........I just didn't really have too many ideas that motivated me to do anything with them......until today!I decided to take a felted woman's turtleneck and turn it into a little cardigan for my sweet Savannah Rose.  So here's what I started with:And here is what I ended up with: The felting REALLY reduced the … continue reading

18
Jan

Little Girls Valentine’s Day Dress Tutorial

My daughter Savannah had this super-cute Valentine's Day shirt last year that I bought from BabyGap: I love this shirt!  It's just so perfect for Valentine's Day, but that sad thing is that she only really wore it for a couple weeks last year. She went through a major growth spurt and it seemed like overnight the shirt was too short - total bummer!!  Do you find that happens a lot - the shirts don't get too tight, they just get too short?  That always seems to be our problem around The Cottage Home. In thinking about what I wanted my little miss to wear for … continue reading